All-time favourites /// Lostprophets ‘The Betrayed’

The story of Lostprophets’ fourth album – the famous ‘The Betrayed’ is not an easy pie, full of adversity, obstacles and misfortunes, but with a happy end. What it does extremely well and vividly is demonstrating band’s determination, self-confidence, self-understanding and readiness to risk in order to remain true to themselves.

‘The Betrayed’ rose out of the ashes of the album whose title is unknown for us – the mysterious album that went straight to the dustbin as the band were absolutely dissatisfied with it. Without any fear they scrapped it and went DIY with the bassist Stuart Richardson taking over the role of a producer and prepared the album completely themselves. The result is now known as ‘The Betrayed’, released in January 2010.

This is probably the most bitter and angry record of Lostprophets’ which shows all their feelings after everything the musicians had to go through. It’s full of dark sincerity, incredible honesty with souls turned inside out for everyone to see and actually feel together with the band. However, side by side with fury, anger, bitterness and disappointment, there go hopeful, optimistic moods which show that it’s not that bad in the end, that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The band’s determination to keep their individuality by even putting a lot at stake, not being afraid of anything – leaving their comfort zone and safety, showed that even at difficult times they still remain themselves, stick by each other when half of the world is against them and dash all the rules, which are different from their beliefs. We believe, this is exactly what they call strong people and we don’t mean physical strength here.

Every song of ‘The Betrayed’ is an arrow reaching out to different targets, be it fury, confidence, challenge, heartbreak, hope or confession. Interludes between the songs make it a single, unified narration, a single story with different chapters embraced with the sense of charisma and self-consciousness. This is Lostprophets, their true identity which has been with them since the very beginning and the one they’re not gonna trade for anything. Beware. They bite when they’re angry.